Quartz working



March 8, 927- E. R. BERRY QUARTZ WORKING Filed April 18, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 lnventor Edward R. Berry Q9 flt W f l-llls a ttorney Ma1927' E. R. BERRY QUARTZ WORKING Filed Avril 18. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2'l J'H I I'I II I I I II I I b I E mmmm :IHH I I I IEIII I I /4 M EdwardR. Ber/"y Q9 ifizw n Hi5 .fltt r-nqg.

In ventol" Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES EDWARD R. BERRY,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF IALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

QUARTZ WORKING.

Application filed April 18, 1923. Serial No. 638,017.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of elongated objects,such as rods or tubes, from fused or amorphous quartz. It is the objectof my invention to improve the uniformity of the process, to render theeter at the extrusion orifice, as the extrusion progressed and thetractive force exerted by the extruded cane became appreciable.

In accordance with my present invention the weight of the extrudedquartz is counterbalanced either b a liquid of approximately the samespeci c gravity as quartz; or

wholly or partly by mechanical means.

Fig. 1 illustrates my invention as carried out with a liquid of higherspecific gravity than water and Fig. 2 illustrates the same as appliedto a. mechanical counterbalance.

In Fig. 1 the furnace from which the plastic cane is extruded isindicated only, most of the furnace being broken away, as it constitutesno part of my invention. The drawing shows the supporting platform 2upon which rests the base 3 of the furnace.

The heater tube 4 makes contact with a water-cooled terminal 5 to whichare con nected current supply conductors 6, 7." The quartz cane 8issuing from the heated zone of the furnace (for example. through anorifice not. shown) is projected into abody of liquid 9 contained in atubular receptacle 10. The liquid should have a specific gravity ofabout 1.5 to 2.2 or even higher in some cases where large rods of about1" diameter are bein made, and may consist of a solution of a sa t, suchas mercuric otassium iodide or of a solution of a heavy iquid such assulphuric acid. Liquid or anic compounds, such for example as car ontetrachloride, also may be used. The liquid column has been indicated asbroken as it may be of greater length than otherwise could be indicatedin the drawing. The resulting strip 8 is of uniform diameter.

As shown in Fig. 2, the strip 8 may be mechanically counterbalanced. bya platform 11 carried by an endless belt 12, running over pulle s 13,14. When the platform 11 descends t e belt picks up a flexible weightorchain 15 so as to give a-graduall increasing upward thrust tocounterba ance the progressively increasing weight of the" cane 8 inorder to, reduce traction upon the still plastic material issuingfronrthe extrusion. apparatus.

The drawing shows the pulleys and belt operating in a body of water orother liquid 16, but this liquid may be omitted and the descendingquartz cane 8 may be cooled by a current of air. The cooling liquid inthe tank 10 of either modification may be drawn oil by a discharge duct17.

Although I have described my invention with reference to the manufacture.of quartz 1 cane, I wish it to be understood that tubing or otherelongated objects may be made in the same manner.

What I claim as new and desire to secure.

by Letters Patent of the United States, is t The process of shapinplastic silica which consists in proyectmg t e same in an elonated forminto a li uid' havin an .rox so nn R. BERRY. i

